The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1887-10-19

| them, and VIII save them now. But
we 20 into profound ard
elaborate definitions of what justi-
fication ia, aud after all the work there are
not, outside OF the learned professions
| 1900 people in the United States who can
tell what justification is. / wiz read you
the definition: classification. Is purely
! forensic act, the act of a JUICE sitting Ia
| the forum, in which the gupreme Ruler
and Judge, who is accountable to none,
and who alone knows the manner in which
the ends Of his universal government can
best be obtained, reckons that which was
| done by the substitute in the same man
ner as II it had been done by those who
| believe in the substitute, and not on ac-
count Of any thing done by them, but
I purely upon account OF this gracious
method OF reckoning, grants them the full
remission Of their sins"
Now, what is Qualifications? will tell
| you what Justification is--when a sinner
believes, God lets him off. One summer
! in Connecticut l went to a large factory,
and | saw over the door written the
words: "No admittance." l entered, and
| saw over the next door: "No admittance."
! or course I entered. l got inside and
! found it pin factory, and they We're
making pins, very serviceable, fine and
useful pins
! SO the spirit of exclusiveness has prac-
/ tically written over the outside door of
| many church: "No admittance." And
( IL the stranger enters he finds practically
/ written over the second door: 'No admit
! tance," and if he goes in, over all the pew
| doors seems written: "No admittance,"
while the minister stands in the pulpit,
hammering out his little niceties of belief,
/ pounding out the technicalities ofreligion,
making pins. In the most practical, com
nonsense way, and laying aside the nom
essentials and the hard definitions of re-
Iigion go out on the God given mission,
telling the people what they need and
| when and how they can get it.
Comparatively little effort as yet has
been made to save that large class of per-
/ sons in our midst called skeptics, and he
| who goes to work here will not be
| building upon another mans foundation.
| There is a great altitude of them. They
are afraid of US and cur churches, for the
reason we don't know how to treat them.
One Of this class met Christ, and hear with
what tenderness, and pathos, aud beauty,
and success, Christ dealt with him:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
/ thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is
| the first commandment, and the second is like
this, namely: Thou shall love thy neighbor as
tayself There is no other commandment
4 greater than this
And the scribe said to him:
Well Master. thou hast said the truth, for
there is one God, and to love h m with all the
heart, and all the understanding, and all the
| soul. and all the strength is more than whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices.
And when Jesus saw that he answered
discreetly, he said unto him;
! Thou art not far from the kingdom OF Cod
/ So skeptic was saved in one interview.
But few Christian people treat the skeptic
in that way. Instead of taking hold of
him with the gentle hand of love, we are
apt to take him with the iron pincers of
ecclesiasticism.
You would not be so rough on that man
il you knew by what process he had lost
his faith in Christianity. ! have known
men skeptical from the fact that
they grew up in houses where religion
was overdone. Sunday was the most aw-
full day of the week. They had relig-
ion driven into them with trip-ham-
mer They were surfeted with prayer
meetings. They were stuffed and choked
with catechisms They were often told
they were tho worst boys the parents ever
knew, because they liked to ride down hill
better than to read Bunyan's Pilgrims
Progress. Whenever father and mother
talked Of religion they drew down the
| corners of their mouth and rolled up their
eyes, IL any one thing will send a boy or
girl to perdition sooner than another that
4 Is it. If / had had such father and
mother, 1 fear should have been an in
tidel.
/ Others were tripped up of skepticism
from being gKievously wronged by some
man who protested to be q Christian.
They had partner in business who turned
out to be first-class scoundrel, though q
professed Christian. Twenty years ago
they lost all faith by what happened in an
oil company which was formed amid the
4 petroleum excitement. The company
owned no land, or IL they did. there was
no sign of oil produced; but the president
of the company was Presbyterian elder,
and the treasurer was an Episcopal ves-
tryman, aud one director was Methodist
class-leader, and the other directors prom
inent members of Baptist and Congrega-
tional churches.
i Circulars were gotten out telling what
fabulous prospects opened before this COM
pany. Innocent men and women who had
little money to invest. and that little
their all, said 81 don't know any thing
about this company, but so many good
men are at the head OF it that it must be
excellent, and taking stock in it must be
almost as good as joining the church" Sc
they bought the stock, and perhaps re-
ceived one dividend, so as to keep them
still, but after awhile they found that the
company had recognized, and had dif-
ferent president and different treasurer,
and different directors. Other engage
ments or i'll health had caused the former
erets, to resign. And all that the sub.
scribers of that stock had to show for their
investment was beautifully ornamented
certificate.
Sometimes that man looking over his
old papers comes across that certificate,
and it is so suggestive that he vows
he wants none of the religion that
the presidents and trustees and directors
of that oil company protested. or course
their rejection of religion on such grounds
was unphilosophical and rn~ise.
am told that one third OF the United
States army desert every year, and there
are twelve thousand court. martial trials ev'
cry year. Is that any thing againstthe Unit
ed States Government that sworo them ini
And If soldiers of Jesus Christ desert, Is
that any thing against the Christianity
which they swore to support and defend
How do You Judge of the currency OF a
country BY counterfeit billf Oh, you
must have patience with those who have
been swindled by religious pretenders.
Live In the presence Of Others frank,
honest, earnest, Christian life, that they
may be attracted to the same Saviour
upon whom your hopes depend.
Remember skeptcism always has some
reason, good or bad, for existing. Goethe's
,-rsif,sian started when the news came To